Public water system · NM3530827
ActiveElephant Butte Water System
At a glance
Elephant Butte Water System (PWSID NM3530827) is an active community water system in Sierra County, New Mexico. It reports serving 2,286 people through 1,073 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in September 2014.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
2,286
Service connections
1,073
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Elephant Butte Water System compare with other water systems in Sierra County?
By EPA's size categories, Elephant Butte Water System is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Sierra County has 21 active public water systems, and Elephant Butte Water System is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 4.2 times the county average of 550 people per system, and accounts for 20% of the 11,551 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across New Mexico, the 1,165 active systems average 1,885 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Elephant Butte Water System is about 66% below that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. New Mexico has 645 active community water systems, 55% of the state's 1,165 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 1,009 New Mexico systems (87%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Elephant Butte Water System?
EPA lists Elephant Butte Water System as owned by a local government. The NM state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 6 of the 21 active systems in Sierra County (29%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Elephant Butte Water System have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in September 2014. The violations listed here began between July 1984 and September 2014. By type: 3 monitoring and reporting, 2 public notice, recordkeeping or other and 2 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminants or rules involved are Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Total trihalomethanes (TTHM), Consumer Confidence Rule and Lead and Copper Rule. EPA lists 6 as resolved and 1 as archived. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed. Archived means the violation was not marked resolved but is more than five years past the end of the noncompliance period, so it no longer counts toward current compliance status.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2012-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2010-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2009-03-07 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation without NPDWR Violation · code 76 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2006-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1984-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Fluoridecode 1025 | Yes | Archived |
All 7 violations in EPA's records, newest first.Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
Elephant Butte Water System: frequently asked questions
Who runs Elephant Butte Water System?
Elephant Butte Water System (PWSID NM3530827) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the NM state drinking water program.
How many people does Elephant Butte Water System serve?
Elephant Butte Water System reports serving 2,286 people through 1,073 service connections in Sierra County, New Mexico.
Where does Elephant Butte Water System get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as groundwater. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers.
Does Elephant Butte Water System have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in September 2014. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is Elephant Butte Water System's water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. EPA's records list 7 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in September 2014. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the NM state drinking water program.
Where can I find Elephant Butte Water System's water quality report?
As a community water system, Elephant Butte Water System must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Sierra County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Truth Or Consequences | Sierra | 6,783 | Community | Groundwater |
| Elephant Butte, City of | Sierra | 1,350 | Community | Groundwater |
| Desert View Rv Park | Sierra | 220 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Hillsboro Mdwca | Sierra | 172 | Community | Groundwater |
| National Rcs Test Facility | Sierra | 100 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Dam Site Historic District | Sierra | 98 | Transient non-community | Purchased groundwater |
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About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Elephant Butte Water System, PWSID NM3530827, New Mexico”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/new-mexico/elephant-butte-water-system-nm3530827 (data as of October 1, 2026).